I am really excited that a class on the jägerstock, or two-headed spear is being offered at the 2024 Western Martial Arts Workshop (WMAW) this September (see the entire list of classes here). This 17th century spear with a sharp head on each end had a reputation as a weapon that would allow a single man to oppose dozens of swordsmen. So, I decided to make one. We will be offering these as a custom order for $355 plus shipping. This weapon is fascinating, and moves with authority and agility -- though I wouldn't recommend assaulting a group of swordsmen unless you've studied hard ;-)
An illustration from the section on Jägerstock in which the expert fights multiple swordsmen
The class will focus on the techniques featured in Johan Pascha's 1670 fighting book, which is available for free on the glorious Wiktenauer.
An illustration of the weapon in Pascha
If you want one you can contact us here. As always, our swords and weapons are made by hand, by us at our shop in Minneapolis, MN. Sword blades from 6150 steel, hardened to 50-52 Rockwell, spears and axes from 4140 steel, differentially hardened. They are all hand-crafted to look, feel, and function just like the original pieces on which they are based. Check out our full catalogue here.
Nathan Clough, Ph.D. is Vice President of Arms and Armor and a member of the governing board of The Oakeshott Institute. He is a historical martial artist and a former university professor of cultural geography. He has given presentations on historical arms at events including Longpoint and Combatcon, and presented scholarly papers at, among others, The International Congress on Medieval Studies.
Craig Johnson is the Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute. He has taught and published on the history of arms, armor and western martial arts for over 30 years. He has lectured at several schools and Universities, WMAW, HEMAC, 4W, and ICMS at Kalamazoo. His experiences include iron smelting, jousting, theatrical combat instruction and choreography, historical research, European martial arts and crafting weapons and armor since 1985.